


Somehow, You're Different

by Jotachinos



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Gen, M/M, Mentioned Mikasa - Freeform, One-Sided Attraction, Unrequited Love, very short story
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-02
Updated: 2015-01-02
Packaged: 2018-03-04 22:49:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,058
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3095288
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jotachinos/pseuds/Jotachinos
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Changes are happening, and these changes are freaking Eren out. He's fine around all of his other friends, so why is his closest different?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Somehow, You're Different

**Author's Note:**

  * For [DestinyGirl](https://archiveofourown.org/users/DestinyGirl/gifts).



> This was written for a very good friend of mine, Destiny! Thank you for everything and I hope you enjoy!
> 
> (sorry this is incredibly short...)

"It's a phase," Eren convinced himself of that. When these thoughts first entered his mind, when his body felt and reacted differently around certain people, when his actions and personality changed, he was scared - fear of the unknown.

In the beginning, when he first realised the changes that were happening and what he may have to go through, based purely on guesses, he panicked. What could he do? Could he go to someone and talk about it, or was this something you could not discuss without being frowned upon? Eren didn't know, nor could he have prepared for the answers - the realisation would soon come to him, hitting him like a ton of bricks.

Of course, as any normal teenager would do in his current situation, his first option was to search the internet for solutions to his... issue. Google must hold all the answers, right? Unfortunately, Eren soon realised that this was not, in fact, a perfect world; although he did find some things that were along the lines of an answer, they were usually always followed by comments that were hardly encouraging. "It's a phase" was a popular opinion. It was an opinion that made the most sense, so he believed it as if it were a fact. But, what was this "phase?"

After fruitlessly searching online, he tried contemplating the matter with just his own perceptions - some bad decisions are made every now and then, he quickly learned. Not only did he not come to terms with what his issue was, but he only made himself feel worse for having such an issue.

Anyone who even had the slightest inkling that something was plaguing Eren, he knew they'd question him endlessly about it, so he tried to make sure his worries never showed. Little did he know about the powers of assumption that the people closest to him possessed. He also didn't realise how bad he was at hiding anything.

When Eren woke up the next morning he followed the same routine he did every morning. Nothing abnormal, just your average "get up and go" morning. His walk to school was pretty normal, too, walking alongside Mikasa and chatting away idly about nothing.

It was just your average Tuesday at school with just your average lessons: horrifically boring, tedious work being given by the same monotone, past-their-prime teacher. If only the break period was the same that day. But no. No, Eren couldn't have just sat down with Armin in the library like they usually did. Armin had to notice the slightest of changes in Eren's voice, didn't he. He had to notice the way that Eren was rubbing his knuckles with his thumb slightly harder than usual.

Armin also had to notice the shifting, averted eye contact.

He knew something was wrong. Or different, at least. He had known for several months. He thought that asking Eren about it was a "friendly thing to do." However, he didn't realise that it made Eren doubt himself - his excuse included - even further. He didn't realise that him pressing on the matter only made Eren question himself more, meaning that he began to worry more.

But it wasn't his fault.

School couldn't finish any slower, Eren thought agitatedly as he threw his backpack on and made a break for the exit. Mikasa barely managed to catch up. Obviously spotting his odd behaviour she began to quiz Eren, gaining nothing more than a few mere grunts, "dunnos" and "it's nothing" from her brother. She knew she wouldn't get a straight answer, so she did the smartest thing and moved on from the subject.

Eren skipped dinner that night, deciding that he was too focused on something else to be able to eat.

He sat on his bed with his elbows on his knees, resting his chin on his knuckles as he stared blankly at his carpet. Only one thing was flowing through his mind, occupying everything last thought: "It's a phase." The problem was that he didn't know what this supposed "phase" was about.

Whatever this "phase" was, it should have ended after six months, right? Surely there was some sort of... delay? But what was the delay? His own morals? His own beliefs? Well, if he possessed any, that is.

Eren reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone: no missed calls, but one new text sent not too long ago. Naturally, it was from Armin.

_Hey, Eren. You seemed off today. I'm worried about you, are you okay?_

Eren smirked, of course he'd be worried. He took a moment to think before replying.

_yeah, i'm fine. just got some things on my mind._

And, not to his surprise, he almost immediately replied.

_Do you wanna talk about it? You know I'm always here for you if you need anything._

_Thanks, armin. i know you are, bud. but this might be something i have to figure out on my own, if you don't mind me saying._

_Oh, okay. Just let me know if I can help at all. Sleep well. :)_

_you too._

Eren forced himself to refrain from throwing his phone at the wall, resisting the urge to smash it with all his might. He didn't understand why he felt so angry all of a sudden. All Armin did was ask how he was. He even did that in the library, every day since he felt this way. Why did it suddenly affect him now?

Armin wasn't at fault here, it was Eren. Eren was the one who was different. Eren was the one with a thick knot constricting him on the inside. Eren was the one who for the past several months started acting peculiar. He felt fine around the others: Mikasa, Jean, Connie, Marco, Sasha, etc. For some reason, Armin was different. He somehow had a different affect on Eren all together.

Why did Armin have to be so considerate, so goddamn nice and caring? Why did he have to be this way with Eren? Why did Armin have to be friends with him at this moment in his life? Why did he have to be on Eren's mind all the time? Everything was a "why?"

And then it dawned on him. The cause of all his concern, the cause of all his worries, the cause of all these unexplainable feelings. Eren finally understood.

**Author's Note:**

> Well done, you got through... this. If you liked it, great! If you didn't, great! I appreciate you reading this.


End file.
